rwilem

Just about the same. Actually I had an all-time personal best 18-hour turnaround for approval from CW. Nice, the system's working very good. But then about a week later, another email came in, reminding me of the coming due date, that I need to do the report. Since I already had the approval and 'next due date' receipt for early October, I just ignored it. (Oh, I have not left and returned anytime in previous 90 days.) And now the system's down a couple days for 'maintenance', OK. We'll see what comes back. Will that 18-hour turnaround be going bye-bye?

Yes, you got it. Some time back, the 90-day system was failing for me and the appointment system was down. It took about four hours from when I arrived till when I was done. Use online appointments for all you can.

Well, yeah I must have gotten the latter, ha.

Last fall I needed to do the 90-dayer in person, after the online submissions were rejected. I made an appointment and also prepared the form/copies to get a COR at the desk at the same time. After completing the 90-dayer at the B desk dedicated for appointments the clerk refused my request for a COR. No dice. Flatly refused, and told me to get a number at the main 'check-in counter' if I wanted a COR. So I went over and got a number for the COR, served by the slow-moving B desks. It took a couple hours before it was done. Just sharing my experience. Maybe they'll do it, maybe not. Pro tip: I would have been best served by getting a number for the COR right away at the time I arrived to Immigration, as I got there about 45 minutes before my 90-dayer appointment, and killed time downstairs. Lesson: get the number for COR right off the bat.

Well, just submitted a 90-dayer online with CW. No, not returning from an overseas trip, but kind of expect an issue with the TM 30 cross-check. I rent, and it's hard to get basic cooperation from the agent about this. Took repeated requests to register a TM 30 three years back. Since the announcement of the 'new TM 30 system' (last September, I think) I informed them that a filing in the new system was required. Asked several times, asked also that I get a hard copy of the registration. It's gets to be a drag to ask, "Hey, what about the TM 30?" I never have gotten any copy, but my last online 90-dayer (75 days ago, ha) was approved. So CW is requiring a new TM 30 for returning to your residence even after a domestic days-away stay from it? When you've got your own place, as an owner, OK that's easy enough. For renters, it's just a mess.

Exactly. It used to relatively painless to do the stamps transfer to a new passport at CW. But not anymore gauging from recent reports. Just having it done at the next extension time makes more sense.

Usually, for in-person, the 90-day count until the next due date starts from the day you do the report. But your office may differ, it may count the 90 from the current due date, I've experienced both. But more common to start it on the day you do it, especially when you are doing it after the due date in the grace period. And just to share this info, for online (at least at CW) the 90 day count begins from the day you submit it, and not from the later time (however many days that takes) when an approval is made.

I once did that, went to CW immigration soon after getting a new passport solely to have the stamps transferred. The current extension stamp was transferred to the new passport but the unused single re-entry permit was not. When I inquired about that, if I could travel from Thailand since I still had an unused re-entry permit tied the current extension I was told no, that I would need to get another re-entry permit to use for any travel ahead in the next month-and-a-half of that current extension's validity. Whether this was correct or not, it was not really an issue as I did not have any plan for travel abroad in the following six weeks of that stamp transfer occasion. If that is indeed correct about not transferring the re-entry permit, then it doesn't make sense to do the transfer in a rush. But since I have not seen any other reports here of re-entry permits not being transferred, well...perhaps one officer's interpretation, handling, was a bit off at that time. For the next 'new passport and extension stamp transfer' I'll just leave for the time of the next extension. All the docs you need for the transfer are ones you need for the extension, will just have them do 'double duty' that day.

Yep, one might/might not receive the '90-day due date approaching' email. Mostly they come in, but really a roll of the dice, and don't forget to check the spam folder. On the six days prior to the report deadline date, that was changed at least more than a year ago I believe to allow online submissions of the report up to the due date itself. BUT, with the length of time frames from the submission to the notice of approval from the CW office, I've found it best not to delay much. Yes, they seem to have corrected, or improved on the longer turnarounds, in recent months. Still, I submit it online 14 days prior to the due date. (Yep, turning it into an almost 75-day report, ha!) Gives enough time for a second, even a third time to submit online, as my experience is that rejections get back to you quicker than approvals. Some folks are reporting lately very short turnarounds from CW, which is good to hear. Still, my most recent approvals were 5-6 days. Lessons: Don't depend on the email, and earlier is better for submitting online at CW.

The online system with its stops and stutters at least seemed not to have the above issue. Just wondering, would the elimination of the required TM 6 card upon arrival at airports a few years back have anything to do with Immigration offices tracking or logging of entry dates? The TM 6 was nixed, then there were a couple of modifications in the online form, including arrival card number and flight info not being requested. (And then there was an overhaul during which the system was down several days, who knows what they were trying to do.) Immigration offices across the kingdom seem to have an issue about knowing or being updated on 'entry dates', and thus tracking when a fresh 90-day cycle should be coming into effect. Maybe enough of these piled up to a degree that now they want you to come in for your first 90-dayer after a trip abroad. Not a good development.

Update, I went to the Thai Postmart link for buying the Back Pass envelope, see if I could get it. On mobile, Android. Page is in Thai, but hit the 'auto translate' to English bar at bottom, I think that's a default google feature. OK, I'm in business, register, go to filling in the address to complete the purchase. Oh no, all the locales in the three drop down menus for city and districts show up in Thai. Well, struggled with it a bit, and back to the main page, and in the upper left, hit the menu bar and was able to locate a language 'EN' button. I missed that, didn't try to start looking there as I just went with default web translation feature that was working well. Issue solved, re-do the address, drop downs show the names in English. (Bangkok right on top of the city/province one.) U.S. credit card payment sailed through, and immediately received the payment confirmation email. Good to go on this part. (Though I think stopping in at a PO and being able to buy the thing there might have been faster, ha!)

This. And procedures have been changing over the past year, so unless you've done it in the past 6-8 months your experience is pretty much out-of-date. I mentioned earlier, once one gets the new passport they tend to 'tune-out' on renewal developments.

Not exactly lower Sukhumvit, but up Soi 23, right side, just near where it intersects with Cowboy, there's a sewing lady. Another one is down Soi 22, turn into the small alley on the corner where Buddy's is, right there on the right side.

Thanks for your detailed report. Lots of comments of course from people who've renewed their U.S. passports in previous years, last year, two years ago or longer, recounting their experiences. All offered in good faith, but kind of out-of-date now. The Embassy has made a few changes in the process, actually keeps making changes, especially in the return-by-post requirement. (That one one came in last August, I believe.) There are some good reports from since that time, including this one, which provide correct up-to-date info. (And understandable, after people get their new passports, not to stay up on what's happening re passport renewals.) What I have not seen and am asking about, has anyone ever tried buying or was able to purchase the Thai Post Courier Pass Back directly at a Post Office? Which would be a rather easy option for some (myself included, ha.)

Thanks. I don't have a real U.S. number, and the 'app- type' U.S. number that I have doesn't accept the 'code-type' or OTP calls. (Unless you upgrade, I think it's $10/month, and then you can receive the code calls. But I don't find and haven't found it necessary to do that.) Still wondering if a guy could just buy it 'over-the-counter' at a post office. Gee, you most likely will go to a PO to send the package, if using the Thai Post EMS. Just buy the Pass Back first, take a photo of the receipt, put the receipt in the package you are sending off by EMS. Should be simple enough, you would think.

May I ask, was your credit card U.S. one or a Thai one? Have seen another report where the Thai Postmart customer's U.S. card was not accepted, so he used a Thai card. Trying to find out if that was a one-off, or their policy is only to accept Thai credit cards. Has anyone used a U.S. card to buy the Courier Pass Bask? Even wondering, has anyone ever purchased a Courier Pass Back directly from a post office?

Seems just about all things regarding dates and immigration matters count the date listed (e.g., entry date or due date for 90-dayer) as 'day 1'. Thus, it's really six days that you have after the 90-day due date. That would make May 17th the deadline in your case.

I assume by "people"you mean us the applicants. Yes, I mean us, the people that have deal with it. And that people may differ, that some (how many?) would prefer an automatic 90-day reset at extension time. At least for CW, that doesn't exist, and makes it simple to just think extension and the 90-dayer are separate. And I prefer that myself, though others may differ on that, and that's what I meant, some people might prefer the auto-reset. Seems there is some confusion on it, with different offices handling it as they like. By the way, I have done a 90-day report a few weeks prior to extension time, which meant the next report date, 90 days forward, would have fallen well outside, well past, the permission to stay date of the current extension. No problem, approved. Just sharing the info, but of course, it's always case-by-case.

It's a case-by-case, or office-by-office policy, of whether people get their '90-day calender' reset to 'day one' at extension time. Confusing, yep. Best to find out how one's office plays it. At CW (Bangkok) the time frame of your 90-day report is entirely independent of anything to do with an extension; i.e., there is no reset of the 90 day time frame. Seems clearer that way, keep them separate, you won't have the 'thought my 90 day calendar reset when I did my extension' issue cropping up. But people may differ on that. The key, though, know how one's office handles that, among other items.

Yes, it opened sometime last November, I think. At least from December it was in regular service.

This thread has some informative responses about this dilemma. It started a few years back but has some relatively recent comments.

Yes, it seems beyond the model name, there are 'model-offshoot identifiers' (letters, numbers) that ID a particular phone model. Some of the specs vary from the offshoots by the regions and countries the phone is marketed for. As you describe it must be a factor in how updates are managed as well. Perhaps not a fix for Samsung phones, I don't know, but I read about owners of a Xiaomi phone model (Mi 10T lite) receiving updates after getting into the settings and changing 'phone region', or something to that effect. (Not location.)

Well, that phone is available in the market here. I imagine it's a European-specific offshoot of that model, with some different frequency bands. That's the only thing I can think of that makes it non-certified for here. But who knows? I think I'll drop the thought of buying a phone from Amazon. Too much risk of having a hassle. A earlier post suggested getting in touch with Amazon and have them compel UPS to get the phone shipped back. If that would work, maybe that's the easiest out in this case. Good luck.

Just wondering, I would assume the phone you ordered here is a model not marketed or available for purchase in Thailand? Been looking myself--just yesterday even--at some Moto phones on Amazon that are not sold here. The listings show an 'import duties deposit' in addition to the product price. That implies there should be no problem buying the phone and having it shipped, that everything will be OK. But not so it seems. Kind of a drag, for sure, with a phone stuck in 'customs limbo'. If you don't mind my asking, which Samsung model did you order from Amazon?

Certainly not automated in my case. Submitted to CW last Monday afternoon, waited it out and it was approved today, this Monday afternoon. Noted that approval time was just two minutes shy of matching the submitted time from a week ago. Seven days. Just seems to be no rhyme or reason to it.